Children Placed with Family and Friends: Placement Patterns and Outcomes

Abstract

There is very little research on placements with family and friends in the UK (also here referred to as ‘kin’) and those studies that do exist generally have small samples or are part of larger investigations of other topics. This study was undertaken to provide information about the characteristics, progress and outcomes of children placed with family and friends, to compare these with a similar group of children placed with unrelated foster carers and to consider the factors that contributed to success in family and friends placements. In addition, through interviews with participants we hoped to shed light on the needs of these children and their carers.